Well stuffing-box.



G. W. CHURCH.

WELL STUFFING BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27. 1915.

1,1 6,69 l. Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

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llhlllTiElU 1 GEORGE W. CHURCH, OF WICHI'IA FALLS, TEXAS.

WELL STUFFING-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 16, 19115.

Application filed March 27, 1915. Serial No. 17,416.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnonen CHURCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wichita Falls, in the county of Vvichita, State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in 7 ell StuflingBoxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stuffing boxes for wells and the like, and particularly for oil wells; and the invention consists primarily in certain mechanical arrangements whereby I provide a means for effectually packing a vertically reciprocating pump rod, for keeping said rod packed through long periods of time without manual adjustment, and for facilitating other operations which must necessarily be carried on, without having to dismantle the stuffing box.

The particulars of my invention are given in the following specification; and I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section, showing my stuffing box in use, Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, and Fig. 3 is a partial section taken as indicated by line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates the tubing of a well, through which tubing the fluid is pumped upwardly by the operations of mechanism at the lower end of the tubing and at the lower end of the pump rod 11. The drawing shows the upper end of the tubing and pump rod; at a point immediately below the upper end a pipe leads off from the tubing 10 for the discharge of the fluid; and the height to which this discharge pipe reaches above the upper end of the tubing 10 determines the pressure of fluid at the upper end of the tubing and determines also the pressure which is necessary to place upon the packing to hold against the fluid pressure.

Mounted directly upon the upper end of the tubing 10 is an outer packing containing member 12 having a bore 13 in which the packing Ll is placed. This packing may be of any desired character, either of fiber, metal or other substances. The packing is placed around the pump rod 11, which rod passes upwardly through the member 12; and a vertically movable follower 15 is adapted to press down upon the packing 14: to expand it against the rod 11. The upper end of the follower 15 has a flange 16 which is extended on opposite sides of the follower as illustrated. It will be considered that,

broadly speaking, the flange may be considered as part of the follower. I make the follower in two pieces 15 and 16 for the purpose of renewing the piece 15 when its bore 15 may have become worn. The upper end of the follower has a flat upper end surface 16'" upon which an elevator or clamp or any other tool or member may be supported.

The packing container member 12 has a horizontally extending arm 20 which carries a pivot 21 at its outer end. At this pivot I attach one end 22 of the lever 22 which carries at its other end an adjustable weight 23. The lever 22 is bifurcated in its central portions and the furcations 22 pass around the packing container member 12, or around the casing 10, as may be, below the upper end of the packing container and below the upper end of the follower 15. The lever and weight are thus placed entirely below the point where the pump rod 11 emerges from the stufling box, so that the lever and weight are out of the way when it is desired to work with the pump rod. Often it is necessary to raise or lower the pump rod, and for this purpose a clamp or elevator is used which is conveniently rested upon the upper end of the follower 15, on its upper surface 16*. It is one of the particular features of my invention that I do not obstruct the upper end surface of the follower, but leave this surface free and unobstructed for the support of a clamp, elevator or the like.

The lever 22 is connected by a pair of links 25 with opposite sides of the flange 16 in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The links connect below at 26 with the furcations 22 of lever 22 and connect above with the flange at 27. It will be noted that the links are entirely below the upper surface of the follower 15, so as to leave that upper surface unobstructed and free for the support of a clamp, elevator or the like. At the same time, the links perform the oflice of connecting the packing follower with the lever in such manner that the downward pull exerted by the weight 23 is directed substan- .tially in a vertical line through the links 25 to the follower 15.

It is a particular feature of my present invention that the lever 22 and the weight 23 are below the upper end of the stuffing box; and that the lever is connected to the stuffing boX by upwardly extending links; and that the upper surface of the stuffing box follower is unobstructed, for the purposes set forth. These are the features which 1 wish to particularly claim.

Having described a specific form of my invention, 1 claim: A stuffing boX for wells, embodying in combination with a vertical tubing and a verticallyreciprocating pump rod, an outer packing containing member mounted upon the upper end of the tubing, a packing follower adapted to press downwardly on packing in said member around the pump rod,

the upper end of the follower being above the upper end of the container, a cross member removably mounted on the upper end a of the follower, the ends of said member projecting out over and beyond the sides of the paeklng container, a horizontal arm integral With and projecting from the upper'end of the packing container, a horizon- Copies of this patent may be obtained for tal lever arm having a bifurcated central portion lying around the packing container below its-upper end and having a vertical olfsetat one end pivotally connected directly to the horizontal arm, a weight on the other end of the lever, and a pair of links connecting between the extending ends of the cross member and the furcations of the lever, one on each side of the packing container, said follower and cross member having a flat upper surface and said links connecting with the cross member entirely below its upper surface so as to leave said surface unobstructed.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 12th day of March 1915.

GEORGE W. CHURCH.

WVitnesses:

WM. L. DALTON, JOSEPH F. HAGAN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

